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Tord Jansson: Why software shouldn't be covered by patents

"The main reason why we shouldn't accept patents on software
is because software and the process of development and innovation
in the software industry is very different from that of the rest of
the industry."

"In any normal industry where you deal with physical objects
like the car industry or electronics industry you only have a
handful of inventors. Even the big car developers only have a few
hundred scientists working on improving the technology and
inventing new solutions. Worldwide we probably only have a few
thousand scientists working on improving things like the car
engines, suspension etc. Most of the people in the industry works
with producing and assembling parts and although they do an
important job, they are no source of innovation."

"In the software industry, every programmer is a potential
inventor. Nearly every professional programmer faces new challenges
daily where they need to be innovative and find new solutions. The
essence of programming IS to develop new products and innovate new
solutions where the old techniques doesn't fit in. Just counting
the professional programmers we have millions of inventors in this
industry and if we add to that all the college students,
researchers and people programming in their spare time (which also
can be highly innovative) we have tens of millions of potential
innovators."